Let’s face it. There is no shortage of employment opportunities out there in 2022. If you are looking for a job, they are a dime a dozen. Especially if you are looking for retail, restaurant, and hospitality opportunities. Yet, despite this fact, employers are still stating that they are having a hard time finding qualified workers. In my industry (higher education, career services, human resources, recruiting), this subject absolutely fascinates me. I believe that there are much bigger factors at play here, such as the aftermath (and ongoing) COVID19, the social justice movement, and the Great Resignation. However, there is one common theme that has emerged over the past decade (or more) about what candidates seem to be missing when they come to the job interview, or for their first day, or even during their course of employment. I actually remember reading about it and studying it when I took my first position in Career Services in 2010. Back then, it was called the Skills Gap.
The Skills Gap is still a very real thing in 2022. Employers are still saying that they can’t seem to find people with a solid work ethic who are dependable, have a positive attitude, and a willingness to learn or go above and beyond to do a good job. While the bulk of my research has been on college graduates that lack these skills (and best practices for fixing it), there is data that supports that high school graduates and some adult workers (without a college education) also significantly lack these skills. You can think of these skills as soft skills, or career readiness skills. They aren’t necessarily industry specific, but they are crucial in an individual’s professional development.
In the world of higher education, specifically career services, there is an organization that is very helpful in determining what we need to teach our students in order for them to be successful in the workplace. This organization is NACE, which stands for the National Association of Colleges and Employers, dedicates a tremendous amount of time and resources uncovering best practices and industry trends for employment. NACE connects over 13,700 college career service professionals, university relations, and recruiting professionals, and the business solution providers that serve this specific community. It is the leading source of information on the employment of the college educated, and forecasts hiring and trends in the job market, tracks salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, and student attitude and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks. For more information, check out their website at https://www.naceweb.org.
So, you are probably wondering what I’m getting at, or how this information is helpful to you. I’m getting there! With all the research and outreach that NACE has done to employers, they have identified eight (8) skills, or competencies, that employers are stating that candidates needs to have when entering the world of work. You don’t need to be a college graduate to possess, or develop, these skills and be a successful contributor to the workplace. If you are considering a position in healthcare, these skills are needed now more than ever. These eight (8) competencies are:
- Career & Self-Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
I cannot take credit for identifying these competencies. However, what inspired me to draft this blog is that I want to ensure that those who have not yet had the opportunity to sit in a college classroom can be aware of what the key competencies are that employers are looking for. At first glance, at least to me, these competencies appear to be what I would call “common sense.” I learned about many of these skills from the time I was a young child, continuing to develop them when I started my first real job at the age of 14, to my time spent working in retail while going to college full time, to my first “career” job. These skills continued to develop and strengthen for me while I worked my way into the Director of Career Services role while getting married and raising my family. I believe that my skills are still developing and will continue to do so as my life changes and my priorities shift. It’s a life-long journey.
I am fortunate. I have been blessed. I have parents that taught me to work hard, taught me what responsibility looks like (and what happens when you aren’t responsible), and they taught me how to be accountable. They taught me respect and to be a good listener. They taught me to take pride in my work, and after giving me the basics of what I would need to be successful, I moved out at 17 and have been on my own ever since. I’d like to believe that I am “successful,” but I am by no means rich (in terms of finances). I had a great education, in elementary and in high school, and my parents encouraged me to attend college. All good things. But that got me thinking (about 8 years ago actually) about those who DON’T have access to those same amazing resources. Children who DON’T have parents who teach them how to work hard and develop a good work ethic. Children who fall behind in the classroom and DON’T have access to a mentor or a teacher to help them get back on track, therefore they fall further behind, potentially even dropping out of school. My question: If children don’t learn these eight (8) competencies at home, if they don’t get access to them in the classroom, starting as early as elementary school, and they aren’t going to college (a college that takes pride in teaching career-readiness), then where and when are they learning these competencies? It is my belief that higher education institutions (and elementary/middle/high schools) have a responsibility to not only teach students these skills but hold them accountable to them as well. I believe the ultimate responsibility lies with parents, but we have no way to influence individuals’ households and no right to tell people the best way to raise their children.
I’d like to give a brief summary as to each of these skills and behaviors that are associated with them. This way, you can decide for yourself if you are, by NACE definition, career ready.
1.) Career & Self-Development
These are such broad terms, that I think it makes sense to define them. NACE does a great job taking it one step further by providing sample behaviors to help you understand the competency and where you are with mastering it.
The Long Definition:
“Career and self-development can be defined as being able to proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization (NACE, 2022).”
The Short Definition:
Continuous self-improvement and awareness. Throughout my blogs, you will see a common theme: Self-reflection. This is something I did not spend time doing in my 20’s. If I had, I feel like I would be even further along in my career than I am now. But no one could tell me anything in my 20’s. I knew everything, right? (insert sarcasm here).
Sample Behaviors Associated with Career & Self-Development (as taken from NACE website)
- Show an awareness of own strengths and areas for development.
- Identify areas for continual growth while pursuing and applying feedback.
- Develop plans and goals for one’s future career.
- Professionally advocate for oneself and others.
- Display curiosity; seek out opportunities to learn.
- Assume duties or positions that will help one progress professionally.
- Establish, maintain, and/or leverage relationships with people who can help one professionally
- Seek and embrace development opportunities.
- Voluntarily participate in further education, training, or other events to support one’s career.
2.) Communication
NACE defines communication as being able to “clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization (2022).” This includes verbal, written, electronic, and nonverbal styles.
Sample Behaviors Associated with Communication (as taken from NACE website)
- Understand the importance of and demonstrate verbal, written, and non-verbal/body language abilities.
- Employ active listening, persuasion, and influencing skills.
- Communicate in a clear and organized manner so that others can effectively understand.
- Frame communication with respect to diversity of learning styles, varied individual communication abilities, and cultural differences.
- Ask appropriate questions for specific information from supervisors, specialists, and others.
- Promptly inform relevant others when needing guidance with assigned tasks.
3.) Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a term I see on SO MANY job postings. “Must be able to think critically” “Must be able to navigate challenges with little to no supervision” etc. By definition, critical thinking is being able to “identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.” My definition (although probably not politically correct), don’t be stupid. I know, it’s harsh, but think about it. Don’t be stupid literally means THINK before you ACT. Sometimes it means being quiet, being a sponge and absorbing everything you need to know before making a bad decision or an incorrect statement. Just my perspective.
Sample Behaviors Associated with Critical Thinking (as taken from NACE website)
- Make decisions and solve problems using sound, inclusive reasoning and judgement.
- Gather and analyze information from a diverse set of sources and individuals to fully understand a problem.
- Proactively anticipate needs and prioritize action steps.
- Accurately summarize and interpret data with an awareness of personal biases that may impact outcomes.
- Effectively communicate actions and rationale, recognizing the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of stakeholders.
- Multi-task well in a fast-paced environment
4.) Equity & Inclusion
These are THE buzz words of 2022. This is THE hot topic of the year. Everywhere you look, more and more places are hiring roles directly tied to creating and implementing DEI initiatives (diversity, equity, and inclusion). NACE defines this competency as being able to “demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism (2022).” This is an area where everyone in the workforce and entering the workforce needs to possess basic knowledge. Many companies are even sending out their established associates for training on this topic so they can stay current with the changes and trends (and laws)!
Sample Behaviors Associated with Equity & Inclusion (as taken from NACE website)
- Solicit and use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make inclusive and equity-minded decisions.
- Actively contribute to inclusive and equitable practices that influence individual and systemic change.
- Advocate for inclusion, equitable practices, justice, and empowerment for historically marginalized communities.
- Seek global cross-cultural interactions and experiences that enhance one’s understanding of people from different demographic groups and that leads to personal growth.
- Keep an open mind to diverse ideas and new ways of thinking.
- Identify resources and eliminate barriers resulting from individual and systemic racism, inequities, and biases.
- Demonstrate flexibility by adapting to diverse environments.
- Address system of privilege that limit opportunities for members of historically marginalized communities.
This is a big one. It seems bigger than us. Larger than life. But there are small things you can do to embrace a culture of equity and inclusion. Participate in a walk, join an advocacy book, read articles or books to better educate yourself on the topic and to better understand why it’s a subject that is in hot demand.
5.) Leadership
You know when someone is a good leader. There is an energy about them that you just can’t ignore. They are charismatic. They are charming. They want what’s best for their people, their customers, and their organization. NACE defines leadership as being able to “recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.” Short, sweet, to the point, I like it.
Sample Behaviors Associated with Leadership (as taken from the NACE website)
- Inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others under a shared vision.
- Seek out and leverage diverse resources and feedback from others to inform direction.
- Use innovative thinking to go beyond traditional methods.
- Serve as a role model to others by approaching tasks with confidence and a positive attitude.
- Motivate and inspire others by encouraging them and by building mutual trust.
- Plan, initiate, manage, complete, and evaluate projects.
I hope that each of you have the opportunity to work for a truly wonderful leader. I have been blessed to have been able to work with powerful, motivating, and inspirational leaders. I have learned SO MUCH from them, both good and bad, and I hope that you someday have that as well.
6.) Professionalism
I have been working in career services for about 12 years. I still have trouble putting a set definition to what professionalism is. If you Google it, you will probably find a couple hundred different definitions. NACE defines it as “knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community of workplace (2022).”
Sample Behaviors Associated with Professionalism (as taken from the NACE website)
- Act equitably with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization.
- Maintain a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values.
- Be present and prepared.
- Demonstrate dependability (e.g., report consistently for work or meetings).
- Prioritize and complete tasks to accomplish organizational goals.
- Consistently meet or exceed goals and expectations.
- Have an attention to detail, resulting in few if any errors in their work.
- Show a high level of dedication toward doing a good job.
7.) Teamwork
When I was the Director of Career Services for a small, private college, I was held accountable to employment outcomes for my graduates. Our goal was set at 90% employment, which is pretty high. I strongly believe that I was able to consistently meet and exceed my goals because of my ability to build effective relationships, in other words, teamwork. I needed to have relationships with my students, with employers, with faculty, and with other administration staff. It was so much easier with us working together toward a common goal than to try and do it on my own.
NACE defines teamwork as the ability to “build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating the diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities (2022).”
Sample Behaviors Associated with Teamwork (as taken from the NACE website)
- Listen carefully to others, taking time to understand and ask appropriate questions without interrupting.
- Effectively manage conflict, interact with and respect diverse personalities, and meet ambiguity with resilience.
- Be accountable for individual and team responsibilities and deliverables.
- Employ personal strengths, knowledge, and talents to complement those of others.
- Exercise the ability to compromise and be agile.
- Collaborate with others to achieve common goals.
- Build strong, positive working relationships with supervisor and team members/coworkers.
8.) Technology
The last of the eight (8) skills that employers are looking for is technology. This doesn’t mean that you need to be a wizard with all technology you come into contact with. But it does mean you need to have basic knowledge and be willing to learn and use more technological tools that will help you reach your goals more effectively and efficiently. Our “technical” NACE definition states that you should be able to “understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.”
Sample Behaviors Associated with Technology (as taken from the NACE website)
- Navigate change and be open to learning new technologies.
- Use technology to improve efficiency and productivity of their work.
- Identify appropriate technology for completing specific tasks.
- Manage technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making.
- Quickly adapt to new or unfamiliar technologies.
- Manipulate information, construct ideas, and use technology to achieve strategic goals.
There you have it! The eight (8) things employers are saying that candidates are lacking that they SHOULD be bringing to the workplace. I found the sample behaviors to be very helpful in determining if I possessed these skills, or where I could use more training and practice. You don’t need to master each of these, but you do need to present the basics and be willing to work hard to land and expand in your career.
I hope that by me sharing these traits, you feel more prepared for your interviews and in what employers are looking for in today’s workforce. The best part? You don’t NEED a college degree to display these characteristics!
